1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to solid waste disposal systems. In particular, the invention relates to the water-borne transport of solid waste through pipes containing water. The solid waste is immersed in the moving water and is transported through the pipes with the water. Interstate movement of waste and water from "wet" states to "dry" states is proposed.
2. Prior Art
In the not too distant future, the disposal of solid waste will have a magnitude of such proportions that each state, especially on the East Coast, cannot dispose of this vast amount of material in the system presently used.
We have shipped solid waste to England. We have tried to peddle solid waste to several other countries. We are polluting our land and water everywhere. We are even polluting the oceans.
In the present system of landfills or incineration, wherever located, there are going to be objections. People simply want the waste to disappear. These are not easy problems and every prosperous country in the world has a similar situation. We're not willing to do something as a society until we face a crisis. This is classic Crisis Management.
We presently have 27 states which have approximately three (3) to five (5) years before running out of space for solid waste landfills. In many places recycling already exists. However, such recycling is only applicable to aluminum cans, newspapers and glass, and sometimes telephone books.
The landfill trail for solid waste is littered with studies and consultants, but obviously solid waste landfills must not be perpetuated in populated areas. We certainly are courting disaster in many areas . . . a situation that does not have to be.
We are presently generating about 160 million tons of solid waste per year, a quantity that will increase with time and we have already run out of space in some states to place this material.
The major portion of the waste material in landfills is all types of paper, including telephone books. The biodegrading of this material may take decades. Other items are fast food plastic foam cartons that will not break down but create toxic gases. Disposal diapers and pull-ups contain polypropylene, making their breakdown extremely slow and toxic. The disposal of fecal matter from diapers into landfills is another item causing pollution.
The declining number of landfills has caused communities to transport their waste greater distances, often across state lines, which of course has increased disposal costs. The latest estimate for landfills is $750,000 per acre for preparation of site. The carbon dioxide and the methane gas is vented, but the real danger is that the ground water and adjoining bodies of water will be infested with methanol (CH.sub.2 OH) which is a colorless, volatile, flammable, poisonous liquid which is also created by the decomposition of garbage.
In the existing system, each community governs the operation of waste disposal and The Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) can only monitor and check that the procedure is not violating environmental standards.